The Uyuni Train Cemetery

In September, 2016, I visited the town of Uyuni, Bolivia, to take a tour on the nearby salt flats. Part of that tour includes a stop at the local train cemetery. Train cemetery? You bet! There are dozens of locomotives, cars, and parts laying out in the high altiplano, quietly rusting away. This, I had to see.

I arrived in Uyuni in the mid-afternoon, with plans to take the salt flat tour the following morning. I knew the train cemetery would be a brief stop, and I wanted more time to check it out. So, after eating a late lunch, I walked from Uyuni to the train cemetery. Follow the tracks out-of-town, and you eventually get there. It’s a desolate place with stray dogs, litter, and of course, the rusting trains. I arrived late in the afternoon, and took quite a few photos as the sun went down. My initial plan had been to stay after dark, but I decided to head back around sunset — I was cold, and the police were watching the area. I figured they’d ask me to leave anyway, so I walked back as the sun set.